Ex-spouse in jail for violating restraining order due to be freed this month; administrators cite danger

El Cajon 
A second-grade teacher who reported to her school that she was the victim of domestic abuse has been notified that her contract would not be renewed.

Carolyn “Carie” Charlesworth, a teacher for 14 years at schools within the Diocese of San Diego, was terminated from her position at Holy Trinity School in El Cajon.

The incident that triggered her firing came Jan. 28 when her then-husband, Martin Charlesworth, showed up on school grounds despite a 2011 restraining order, which forced the school into lockdown mode.

She was put on paid leave a few days later and was informed in April by a letter from the diocese that she would not return and could not transfer to another school within the system.

Charlesworth, 39, decided this week to go public with her story, which was first reported by KNSD-TV. She said she has hired an attorney and is considering legal action.

In the letter, officials said the decision was made for the “safety of the students.”

In an interview with U-T San Diego, Charlesworth said on the day her husband showed up on campus she had confided to Holy Trinity Principal Francie Wright that she feared her husband because of a pattern of abusive and unpredictable behavior. She said for several years she had been the victim of verbal and emotional abuse with frequent threats of harm and intimidation. On the day she told Wright of her concern that Martin Charlesworth might show up, he was spotted in his vehicle by a church hall manager, parked in a back lot at the school.

Her four children, ages 7 through 11, all of whom were attending Holy Trinity School, were also put on what Wright called an “indefinite leave of absence.” They have been attending schools in the Cajon Valley Union School District since February.

Martin Charlesworth has been in jail since violating the restraining order and charged with stalking. He is due to be released June 28. Married 12½ years, the couple’s divorce was final April 29.

Wright said she was not able to comment but Rev. Brian Hayes of Holy Trinity Parish said, “We regret the difficult decision that was made and we continue to pray for her family.”

Hayes referred further inquiries to the Diocese of San Diego. Calls to Director of Schools Thomas Beecher and Director of the Office for Human Resources Bobbie Espinosa, both of whom signed the termination letter, were not returned.

Charlesworth attended San Diego-area Catholic schools, including Our Lady of Peace and the University of San Diego. She said on one level she understood the diocese decision.

“I am a parent and I know that safety is important, but I don’t think you can hold a person accountable for the actions of someone you have no control over,” she said in an interview. “I just feel that being Catholic, the community might wrap its arms around us and be supportive.”

But she added: “People who I thought would, especially at the school, which has been a welcoming community, there was none of that support for me after Jan. 28.”